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The Jesus Puzzle

Did Christianity begin with a mythical Christ?
by Earl Doherty

The Jesus Puzzle Website

Table of Contents of The Jesus Puzzle

About Translations
Glossary and Abbreviations
THE TWELVE PIECES OF THE JESUS PUZZLE
INTRODUCTION

I : THE JERUSALEM TRADITION
PART ONE: Preaching a Divine Son
Chapter 1: A Heavenly Christ
Chapter 2: A Conspiracy of Silence
Chapter 3: A Thirst for the Irrational
Chapter 4: Apostles and Ministries
Chapter 5: Apocalyptic Expectations
PART TWO: A Life in Eclipse
Chapter 6: From Bethlehem to Jerusalem
Chapter 7: The Passion Story
PART THREE: The Gospel of the Son
Chapter 8: The Word of God in the Holy Book
Chapter 9: The Intermediary Son
PART FOUR: A World of Myth and Savior Gods
Chapter 10: Who Crucified Jesus?
Chapter 11: The Mystery Cults
Chapter 12: Three Views Through the Window in Scripture
Chapter 13: A Riotous Diversity

II : THE GALILEAN TRADITION
PART FIVE: Preaching the Kingdom of God
Chapter 14: Excavating the Roots of Q
Chapter 15: The Gospel of Thomas
Chapter 16: A Counter-Culture Movement in Galilee
PART SIX: An Emerging Founder
Chapter 17: Introducing Jesus to Q
Chapter 18: Sectarian Developments in Q
Chapter 19: Mark and Q: The Origin of the Gospels
PART SEVEN: The Non-Christian Witness to Jesus
Chapter 20: Jesus Among Jew and Pagan
Chapter 21: Flavius Josephus

III : A COMPOSITE CHRISTIANITY
PART EIGHT: The Evolution of Jesus of Nazareth
Chapter 22: The Gospels as Midrash and Symbolism
Chapter 23: The Suffering Righteous One and a Tale from Scripture
PART NINE: The Second Century
Chapter 24: The Remaking of Christian History
Chapter 25: Jesus in the Christian Apologists
POSTSCRIPT
Acknowledgments
APPENDICES
No. 1: Two interpolations in the New Testament epistles
No. 2: A conversation between Paul and some new converts
No. 3: Ignatius of Antioch and docetism
No. 4: A Gospel-based interpolation in the Ascension of Isaiah 11
No. 5: Hebrews 8:4 - "If he were on earth . . ."
No. 6: The location of the myths of the Greek savior gods and of Christ
No. 7: The priority of Mark and the existence of Q
No. 8: The absence of an historical Jesus in the Didache
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX OF SUBJECTS, AUTHORS, AND BIBLICAL PASSAGES